{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/x34mk66f63/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Interview with Vazil Hudak, April 18, 2022"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/212/original/LOHI_aviarybanner2.jpg?1741032082","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2022-11-28 (created)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Interviewer"]},"value":{"en":["Whalen, Emily"]}},{"label":{"en":["Interviewee"]},"value":{"en":["Hudak, Vazil"]}},{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eVazil Hudak describes key programs that the EastWest Institute undertook in Central and Eastern Europe in the 1990s and early 2000s, including cross-border cooperation programs funded through the Carpathian Foundation. He explains the importance of bottom-up cooperation efforts in fostering dialogue and points to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia as evidence of what can happen without consistent efforts at cooperation and dialogue. He also talks about the Bratislava Process, and the Central Asia Leadership Academy, important programs that marked the EastWest Institute's efforts moving eastward throughout the decades. \u003c/p\u003e (abstract)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Contributing Institution"]},"value":{"en":["College of Charleston Libraries"]}},{"label":{"en":["Media Type"]},"value":{"en":["Oral history"]}},{"label":{"en":["Subject - Personal or Corporate"]},"value":{"en":["Mroz, John Edwin","North Atlantic Treaty Organization","Soros, George"]}},{"label":{"en":["Subject - Topical"]},"value":{"en":["Civil society","Community activists","Diplomacy","European Union","Internationalism","Kosovo War, 1998-1999","Leadership","Non-governmental organizations","Track two diplomacy","Yugoslav War, 1991-1995"]}},{"label":{"en":["Subject - Geographic"]},"value":{"en":["Asia, Central","Balkan Peninsula","Bardejov (Slovakia)","Carpathian Mountains","Caucasus","Europe, Central","Europe, Eastern","Kiev (Ukraine)","Middle East","Russia","Serbia","Ukraine","Yugoslavia"]}},{"label":{"en":["Language"]},"value":{"en":["English (primary)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type IMT"]},"value":{"en":["audio/m4a"]}},{"label":{"en":["Rights Statement"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCopyright © College of Charleston\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date Digital"]},"value":{"en":["2022-11-28"]}}],"summary":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eVazil Hudak describes key programs that the EastWest Institute undertook in Central and Eastern Europe in the 1990s and early 2000s, including cross-border cooperation programs funded through the Carpathian Foundation. He explains the importance of bottom-up cooperation efforts in fostering dialogue and points to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia as evidence of what can happen without consistent efforts at cooperation and dialogue. He also talks about the Bratislava Process, and the Central Asia Leadership Academy, important programs that marked the EastWest Institute's efforts moving eastward throughout the decades.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"]},"requiredStatement":{"label":{"en":["Attribution"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCopyright \u0026copy; College of Charleston\u003c/p\u003e"]}},"provider":[{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["Lowcountry Digital Library"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["Lowcountry Digital Library"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/212/original/LOHI_aviarybanner2.jpg?1741032082","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/public/images/audio-default.png","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - Hudak_Vazil_Apr2022.m4a"]},"duration":3186.974,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/public/images/audio-default.png","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-cofc.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/170/982/original/Hudak_Vazil_Apr2022.m4a?1669621962","type":"Audio","format":"audio/mp3","duration":3186.974,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Transcript of Interview with Vazil Hudak, April 18, 2022 [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nWonderful. All right. Vazil, happy to be sitting down for our next session. Why don't we jump right into some of the work that was done at the EastWest Institute in Europe in the years that you were there? Why don't you tell me a little bit about the impetus behind the Carpathian Foundation?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2.0,24.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nYeah. That was in, I would say, mid '90s. This was the period of time when Europe was experiencing conflicts in the Balkans. These were driven mostly by both collapse of former Yugoslavia as well as inter-ethnic and inter-religious tribes. The Carpathian area, which includes bordering regions of five countries meaning Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine and Romania was identified as next possible area of conflicts because of the diversity in terms of ethnic groups as well as religious minorities, changes in the governments after the revolutions which happened in the late '80s, early '90s. So all these created this environment of potential conflict. We were looking at or EastWest institute was looking at ways how to prevent such conflicts. And some experiences from Western Europe after the second World War were identified as interesting lessons for preventing such conflicts among the countries who were in the fight. For example, Germany and France.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=24.0,107.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The experience of so-called Euroregions was found as something which was very useful to build bottom-up conflict prevention and cooperation across borders. That's when the idea of so-called Carpathian Euroregion was born, sometime in 1993/1994. We started working with local governments to develop cooperation, also engaging citizens and businesses. It was very broad area of cooperation. But after some years of experience in the Carpathian Euroregion, we realized that there are many small local cross-border initiatives, but we didn't have financial support to support such small actions. We are talking about, for example, summer schools for students, about intercity cooperation, about cooperation or bringing together entrepreneurs. These are usually activities which would require couple of thousands of dollars to implement. But even this amount of money was a big problem and hampering this type of cooperation.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=107.0,188.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"This was approximately the time when John Mroz was addressing the Board of Governors of Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. I remember this call from John, which was typical John Mroz, when he said, \"Look, I'm going to address the board. Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is deciding how to allocate funds for the next five years. There are of course others who are also pitching for their own ideas, but we have this opportunity. From your point of view,\" meaning from my point of view, \"what would you suggest?\" Then I mentioned this Carpathian region and the fact that we are in need of a pool of money which would support this one cross border cooperation projects.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=188.0,245.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"John raised this idea during his discussion with the Board of Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. I don't know whether he had also some other ideas, but probably yes. But this one somehow resonated with the Board because they liked local action, local initiative, bottom up approach to community building. That's when the idea of Carpathian Region or Carpathian Foundation was started. That must have been sometime around 1995, I would say, when we started creating this institution.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=245.0,283.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nWonderful. I want to go back a little bit and drill down on some of these details.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=283.0,287.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nYes.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=287.0,287.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nYou mentioned looking at the experiences of Western Europe in the post-World War II period was formative and the idea of Euroregions sort of came up. Do you remember the conversation or the process by which you all hit upon this idea or that example became a model for you?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=287.0,308.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nI think it was in our discussions. I remember on the Board of the EastWest Institute, we had President of Council of Europe. Now trying to remember the name. It was quite a well-known French lady [Marie Lavigne]. She actually mentioned this experience. Council of Europe was or is still the European Institution which is preserving human rights and preventing conflicts. So she mentioned that I think first our discussion. And then I remember we actually made a trip to one of these Euroregions which is in the area of Basel. Which connects related parts of something like a Basel, Mulhouse and Colmar I believe. Basically the three cities in France, Germany and I believe Switzerland. And, yeah, this was one of the areas of such cross border cooperation, which was very successful and developed new forms of cross border cooperation. So we did this type of activities.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=308.0,385.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"And then in preparation for Carpathian Foundation, I actually traveled with a group of people from the Carpathian region to Mid-South. Actually there was a Foundation of Mid-South. It's obviously not a, I would say, cross border in the sense of proper countries. But it was basically between Mississippi, Alabama and there was another state of the United States. They basically created this Mid-South Foundation, which was, I remember at that time led by George Penick who was CEO and he was also one of the grantees of Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=385.0,427.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"So I think it was initiative from CS Mott Foundation to go and visit this foundation which was close to what Carpathian Foundation was supposed to do in terms of working across borders. Also, there were religious differences in the region. Obviously quite strong Black minorities and related issues. Minority versus majority. So there was some similarities which actually were interesting for Carpathian Foundation in particular in terms of a local community bottom up building and an engagement of people.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=427.0,472.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nThat must have been a fascinating trip. I can imagine it was the first time for a lot of people.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=472.0,477.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nI think many people from... And actually, those people who participated in the trip, then they became the nucleus of the Carpathian Foundation. And when they came back home to their countries in Poland or Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, they actually then little bit stronger for creating such institution. And some of them became members of the staff of Carpathian Foundation, such as Laura Detail or Oshanda Karesh and others. And some became members of the Board of the Carpathian Foundation.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=477.0,514.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nInteresting. And you mentioned... So if you could give me a little bit of a clear idea, I don't know if you remember any sort of anecdotes or specifics about these cross border initiatives. You mentioned summer schools for students or city to city cooperation. Do any of those stand out to you in your memory?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=514.0,537.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nThere are really many. I would say tens, maybe even hundreds of different small cross border initiatives which were supported by Carpathian Foundation. But I liked, for example, very simple, but I think very good for the region. This was a cookbook of the region because each of the parts of this region, which is very diverse, has its own kind of culinary background and diversity. But the people who speak different languages that are not able to really kind of share this experience. So the Carpathian Foundation produced a first cookbook which was in multilingual, in five languages of the region. And I know that this was a best seller of the book sellers in the region. So it was very nice.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=537.0,596.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"But also, for example, creating what we called Carpathian Salt and Wine Route because the Carpathian region in the Middle Ages was a region which was very important transport route for basically trading salt which was coming mostly from the north from the Baltics area down to the Black Sea and Hungary, et cetera, which was more wine. So there was a lot of trading happening at that time along this transport route, and the region was benefiting in terms of economic development. Many cities and villages or architectural sites are connected to this period of time. So this was also very interesting to kind of redevelop this history of the old transport route. The Carpathian Foundation network brought together different local tourist agencies to develop joint programs where these sort of old routes and connectivity history was brought back again.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=596.0,670.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"So these are just some examples. I also like the different events for young people, especially bringing young school children for summer camps from different countries. So they spend time together, develop understanding of each other. And I strongly believe that if people know each other and the people from the other side of the border are not just some anonymous people, but you can put faces behind the name of the nation and the language, then you create a different type of feelings and positive emotions. These kind of activities are also very important.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=670.0,715.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nSo when the Carpathian Foundation launched, it was still a part of the EastWest Institute and it remained so for a few years. Could you sort of describe the period of time in which the Carpathian Foundation was under the auspices of the EastWest Institute?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=715.0,732.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nYes. That's correct. The EastWest Institute served the role of a kind of incubator for creating this new organization. So at the beginning to make sure that everything is set up properly, it was... Actually, I would say for Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, it was quite a risky, I would say, exercise because they actually allocated, I believe. And in the beginning, it was either 4 or $5 million for six years to this institution to be managed independently. So they obviously wanted to make sure that all the processes are transparent and in the right way. That's why it was initially run as part of EWI as one of the projects. The Chairman of the Board was Steven Heintz, who also served as Executive Vice President of the EastWest Institute. I was kind of project manager, so making sure that on a daily basis the foundation is run well.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=732.0,795.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"But at the same time, we were developing local ingredients of independence or sustainability. So members of the staff were local people from those five countries. We did a lot of staff building, team building. Also brought them a few times to Western Europe to places like those Euroregions I mentioned. Or there was a close cooperation with the Mid-South Foundation in the US and also the Board of Directors was a kind of mix of experienced people like Steven Heintz and others from the West as well as local people. So it was a very nice, I would say, institutional building exercise while still staying inside EastWest Institute. And then I believe sometime around the year of 2000, it was decided that Carpathian Foundation should become independent institution outside of EWI.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=795.0,864.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/21","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nHad that always been the intention or was there a decision making process there?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=864.0,871.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/22","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nI think since the very beginning, this was the intention that the foundation institution should become independent on its own. Of course, there were questions about the ability to survive both institutionally as well as financially. Because while Charles Stewart Mott Foundation was the initial supporter, a major supporter of the foundation, it made clear that after six years, it'll not continue, at least not in the same amount, its support. And that the foundation has to diversify sources of support to other sources. So this was one of the key elements, how to make sure that the foundation identifies new areas of support. Also to make sure that the foundation is not viewed as kind of foreign institution from outside, but an institution which is local, which works for the local people and represents the local interest.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=871.0,936.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/23","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Which I think eventually did happen. I mean, if you look at foundation today, it still continues. I mean, there are some part of the foundation which are more successful, some less. So the foundation eventually evolved in the way that the central coordination office in Košice gradually diminished its importance. And the foundation became really localized. So there is a local Carpathian Foundation in Slovakia, in Košice; a local one in Hungary, in the city of Egar; there is also one in Ukraine in the city of Uzhhorod. The two other branches in Romania and Poland for different reasons gradually, how would I say? They basically slow down and I don't think there are now any activities in those two countries. Which, again, it's different reasons. Mostly personal. It pretty much depends by the people who are in charge. But I think the very fact that the three organizations in Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine continue is already very good result.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=936.0,1014.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/24","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nYeah. And just really quick before we move on a little bit. Running the project, you're a project manager for this for six years or so. Was this your first experience running a project like this and what were some of the things that you learned in the process?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1014.0,1038.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/25","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nYeah. Well, it was not only the first one because I was also, as I mentioned, my previous... Part of the interview, I was also in charge of the European Center in Atlanta, which by itself was a project and institution building, et cetera. And out of this experience and looking at some of the ways how community and national development was promoted in the United States, but also broader in the West. I was then developed and became Head of the program for community and regional development at the EastWest Institute. And Carpathian Foundation and the whole Carpathian effort was part of this. It was a special part which was more focused on cross border, but still looking at how community and traditional development can benefit from cross border cooperation specifically in the regions which are close to borders.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1038.0,1097.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/26","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"So I did have a project management experience in the other areas, mostly local region development, cross border cooperation. Actually, they both became then parts of future programs of the EastWest institute. And of course it also helped me to understand how to work with local leaders and how to promote local leadership in this transitioning economies and transitioning countries, which then was very helpful when developing similar kind of programs in Central Eurasia.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1097.0,1133.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/27","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nSo I want to talk a little bit about your... Just so I can be very clear, you're running the Carpathian Foundation, excuse me, project at the same time that you're also managing the projects in Atlanta and in Ukraine. Is that right? Is there an overlap there?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1133.0,1157.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/28","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nThere was some overlaps. Yeah. So basically Carpathian Foundation and creation of the Carpathian Foundation partly coincided with my work in Atlanta. And that was partly linked to the work on community and vision development, as I mentioned. And looking at the experiences, especially in the south of the United States. There was also very important and interesting educational or university component where I was working with the colleges and universities of the university system of Georgia. They developed so-called outreach functions, which basically meant for university and colleges working closely with local communities. And in Central and Eastern Europe, as one of the results of the old communist regime, universities were very much closed ivory towers. And they didn't have much interaction with local communities.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1157.0,1224.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/29","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"So this outreach function, which was in the form of, for example, universities, colleges helping small, medium enterprises or helping with agricultural development or other areas. They became a very interesting way how universities and colleges starting in the Carpathian region, how they kind of opened up and reached out to the communities and helped them to develop. So this was kind of linked to my stay in Atlanta. I finished in Atlanta in 1995 and then moved back to Prague. So I continued engagement with the Carpathian Foundation, the local community development coursework cooperation out of the Prague center, Prague office. And then actually I think around the year 2000, I moved and worked in the Brussels office of the EastWest institute.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1224.0,1289.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/30","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nAnd that move, did that coincide with the Ukraine project, the Kiev office opening as well? Tell me a little bit about that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1289.0,1299.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/31","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nYes. Yeah, because as EastWest Institute was, how do I say? Gradually moving further East and as the developments in Central and Eastern Europe became more in line with the integration to the European union — and basically integration became the key guiding principle for economic and social political transformations in the region — the Board of the institute decided that there is a bigger value edit of the EastWest Institute further East or South. And this kind of European neighborhood, including Ukraine or the Balkan States, became the main priority. Also, when I moved to Brussels, part of the focus and responsibility from my side was to bring experiences from the EU accession process from Central Europe to these countries further East and further South of EU.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1299.0,1372.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/32","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"So that was approximately the time when EastWest Institute created the office in Kiev. And the office was focusing on two main elements. One was global security issues or security issues related to Ukraine and the whole area in particular Ukraine-Russia relations, which obviously today has a special meaning unfortunately. Maybe if John Mroz was still alive and EastWest Institute continued its activities in this area, maybe you would not have the war. But that's difficult to judge. So one specific focus was on Ukraine and this kind of post Soviet space. And the second focus was on the Balkans, the Western Balkans. Mostly by working in places like Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, et cetera. And the main focus was on developing different forms of cross-border cooperation in this post conflict area. And we were very much utilizing experience of the Carpathian Euroregion and Carpathian Foundation.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1372.0,1451.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/33","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nWonderful. Okay. In tackling those two, we'll save the Balkans for a little bit later and we'll focus a little bit on the Russia-Ukraine security issues. As you mentioned, highly topical these days. Can you tell me a little bit about some of the projects that the EastWest Institute took on in that space?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1451.0,1473.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/34","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nIn Ukraine?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1473.0,1474.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/35","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nYeah, yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1474.0,1476.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/36","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nYeah. So as I mentioned, there were two key directions of the activities in the post-Soviet space, including in Ukraine. One was more security and geo-strategic type of work. And this was mostly under the leadership of Oleksandr Pavlyuk, who now actually works at the European Bank for the Construction Development. He was also briefly in the Ukrainian government, but he was Director of the EWI office in Kiev. So that was very much focused on how to deal with the transformation in the countries of the former Soviet Union and relations between them, including Russia-Ukraine relations. So there was a kind of security aspect then I was more engaged in continuing the regional and community development part.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1476.0,1532.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/37","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The idea was to strengthen bottom up economic and social development in Ukraine to, as we know, Ukraine kind of historically has been divided into different parts—east, west, north, south. And the idea was to bring those historically different parts of Ukraine much closer and to give local people more power to participate in development, in economics and politics. So we had the very lively program was headed by Serhiy Maksimenko who's Ukrainian. Actually I talked to him today. He managed to escape from Ukraine. He and his family were under heavy bombing. Anyway, they survived them. They're actually now in France, at least temporarily. So we spoke a little about this experience. And so we were working different parts of Ukraine, different regions including in Western Ukraine, Zakarpattia and Eastern Donbas region as well as in the South. The idea was to develop different forms of community building and community development by working with the local leaders.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1532.0,1627.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/38","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nIt's interesting. You're working on sort of cross border cooperation for internal borders as well as external borders.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1627.0,1632.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/39","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nThat's correct. Yeah. You captured it very well. Yes. Because anyway, Ukraine was a country which was divided by internal borders. All of those borders were invisible, but they did play quite important role in making sure that Ukraine can survive as an independent country.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1632.0,1653.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/40","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nAnd you mentioned working with local leaders, was there a lot of... I'd be interested to know, I guess, if the Ukrainian local leaders, they were really interested and open to this kind of an internal integration or if you had to kind of make the pitch to them so to speak.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1653.0,1674.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/41","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nYes. I think there was a... It also depend very much on which region we're talking about. It was more difficult in the eastern regions like Donbas or Luhansk where majority of population were kind of strongly associated with Russia, Russian speaking and so on. They felt more, at that time, more Russian than Ukrainian. For them, Ukraine was a new country. They didn't kind of know what to expect. And so their affiliation was at least emotional affiliation was more towards Russia and Russian nation. So that was more difficult. It was easier in western parts of Ukraine like Myrhorod or Transcarpathia as well as Lviv. These were places where people were very much behind Ukraine and Ukrainian nationhood. And also I think was generational issue. So it was much easier to work with younger people, younger generation who were more open-minded, less influenced by the Soviet regime and looking for new way how to promote economic development, how to build Ukraine as a sovereign country.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1674.0,1765.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/42","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nAnd so you mentioned you were more engaged with the sort of community and regional development project, but I want to just ask you really quick about the security and geo-strategy project that Oleksandr Pavlyuk managed that you mentioned that that was really oriented around sort of the transition in the former Soviet socialist republics and also in their relationship with Russia. And I'm interested in sort of what your take on how the EastWest Institute navigated that potentially interesting relationship between Russia and the former Soviet republics.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1765.0,1807.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/43","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nYeah. It was and continues to be a very difficult issue as you can see now. Unfortunately, the world is seeing the invasion of Russia in Ukraine. So I think the take of institute and you know that the Institute had... I mean, it was not kind of ideological institution. So the EastWest Institute, and I think was driven by John Mroz and his personality, it viewed its role as creating or providing an open platform for different countries and people to talk to each other and try to find a solution as long as the solution would respect basic values of freedom and democracy. And I think EastWest Institute was a really kind of front runner in this was to develop what was called second track diplomacy.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1807.0,1869.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/44","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"So we have this first track diplomacy where officials from different sites, ministers, deputy ministers, whatever, parliamentarians meet and they discuss officially different issues. But sometime in these official meetings and discussions, it's difficult to come up with good compromises because the media is watching, everybody's trying to position himself or herself as a winner. And this then makes it more difficult to create compromise.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1869.0,1905.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/45","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The second track diplomacy is kind of working behind the scenes, not so politically exposed, but really focusing on trying to find common ground and agreements. So EastWest Institute was very much behind this second track diplomacy effort. And as such, remember we did have task forces or working groups of people from Russia, from Ukraine, from Belarus, Moldova and the Caucasian republics to try to develop some new type of cooperation and relations between Russia and this post-Soviet republics after the collapse of Soviet Union. Because, and this is not only about Russia, I think any imperial country after the collapse of an empire is dealing with the similar kind of problems, how to adjust to the fact that empire is not empire anymore; that it's much smaller; it has to accept independence of the countries which used to be under the domination and how to develop new relations.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1905.0,1984.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/46","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"So the idea was to help to create these new relations which would be based on mutual respect of each other on Russian acceptance of the sovereignty of this new post-Soviet countries like Ukraine or Moldova and other. And at the same time, not to create situations which would be understood in Moscow as a threat to Russia. So that was basically the style of discussions and efforts which EWI was trying to do.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=1984.0,2026.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/47","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nAnd you had mentioned that especially with the opening of the Brussels office, EU integration kind of became a big sort of an anchor to a lot of these conversations. I'm interested in this sort of — moving back a little bit — about if there was any kind of conversation around native expansion and how that affected conversations in these taskforce and working groups.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2026.0,2055.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/48","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nYes. So the EU end goal was certainly the main one for the countries in terms of their future economic social development in Central Europe. And that's why many activities which EWI was doing in the area of economic or social transformation were taken over by activities driven by the European Commission, by different EU member states through so-called training programs. And there was also the reason why EWI then moved, as I mentioned, more to the East and the South because the added value was much more obvious in those countries which were not covered by the EU enlargement.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2055.0,2100.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/49","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"When it comes to NATO, EWI was also active. And I remember there were working groups, experts meeting on this issue of NATO enlargement. I think it was more focused on the countries which eventually became members of NATO. And, again, big part of that was to make sure that this enlargement of NATO is not viewed in Moscow as being anti-Russian exercise. Now how successful this was is a question mark. But, again, I want to repeat what I mentioned before that it seems to me that today, and looking back at the time before the war in Ukraine, it seems to me that the war itself is quite a major collapse a disappointment of preventive diploma diplomacy. In relations to Russia, we are missing this second track diplomacy channels which would engage Russian officials or representatives in a non-confrontational way to have them to speak, to understand, to talk, to discuss. And this is of course no excuse for Russia and Putin what he did in Ukraine. This is of course unacceptable. But it seems to me that we need to have more communication lines to the Kremlin than just the official ones.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2100.0,2199.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/50","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nYeah, yeah. It seems like, yeah, it's the ongoing conversation that's important, not just sort of reaching a particular end state.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2199.0,2205.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/51","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nExactly. Yes.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2205.0,2208.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/52","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nSo let's turn to the Balkans. I'd love to hear a little bit more about the kind of work that the EastWest Institute did there and your participation in it.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2208.0,2222.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/53","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nYeah. So this was, I would say, a natural continuation of the involvement on cross border cooperation and conflict prevention in the Carpathian region. Obviously after the wars in Balkans and still continuing tensions, some local conflicts in Western Balkans, especially between the ethnic minorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, situation in Serbia, et cetera, with relations to Kosovo, Albania—these continue to be a source of potential conflict for Europe and worldwide.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2222.0,2261.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/54","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"So it was actually local leaders from those countries after we brought some of them to the Carpathian region, showed them the work which was done in the Carpathian region as well as activities of the Carpathian Foundation that they actually asked EastWest Institute to create this type of program in the Balkans. And it was then eventually led by Sasha Havlicek who became head of the Cross-border Cooperation Program in the EastWest Institute. And she created a very able and motivated team of young people who are working on this program in the region itself.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2261.0,2307.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/55","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"I remember she and her crew always traveled in these far distanced places and they actually really did an amazing job in developing these local processes of conflict prevention among the local communities, schools, mayor. I think their work with mayors was the most interesting one where they were able to bring mayors from the cities in the border regions, which just a few months or years ago, were fighting each other. And they brought them together to work on different joint economic or social sports programs, which was really amazing. So that was basically what the work in the Balkans on cross border cooperation was then done.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2307.0,2363.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/56","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nAnd were you a part of the, correct me if I'm wrong, this is going on at the same time as the Bratislava process. Is that right?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2363.0,2373.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/57","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nNo. The Bratislava process was actually earlier. This was during the conflict and bombing of Serbia and now what exact dates and years...good question. I don't remember exactly the years, but-","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2373.0,2395.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/58","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nYeah. I think it started in either late 1999 or early 2000. That sounds right.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2395.0,2400.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/59","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nIt's possible. Yes, exactly. So this was at the time when President Milošević was still in power in Serbia, but there was a strong opposition in Serbia. But they were very, disunited, not united. And the EastWest Institute created the first platform which was then called the Bratislava Process where leaders of the opposition, also representatives of business, media, et cetera, the key person/leader behind was Sonja Licht who was working in Serbia and she was representing [George] Soros's foundation. And that was the time when these opposition groups came together for the first time and they agreed on a kind of agenda for change in Serbia, transforming Serbia into democratic country with rule of law and also as part of this, improving relations with the West and with the neighbors.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2400.0,2476.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/60","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nFascinating. This must have been... So you're living in Prague at this time. This must have been just a very... I wonder if you can tell us a little bit about the atmosphere in Prague at this moment because it seems like a lot is in flux. Sorry, go ahead.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2476.0,2494.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/61","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nFor sure it was interesting time as usual in the region, but it was a time when it was around 10 years after the revolution. So I would say some people lost enthusiasm, this revolutionary enthusiasm of quick changes. Some people were disappointed that the changes were not as fast as they were hoping for. On the other hand, the country was changing, moving forward, the process of EU and NATO integration was moving forward very, very fast and accelerating. So people felt more and more being part of the West. But I think it was also the time when these countries felt that, and people in the countries, that now they are not only consumers of assistance and advice, but they can also share their experience with the countries further East and South. So it was an interesting opportunity for the EastWest Institute to bring some of the lessons of its work to places like Ukraine or the Balkans.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2494.0,2569.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/62","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nAnd that sort of leads us into, I think, the Central Eurasian Leadership Academy. So can you tell me a little bit about the origins of that program? It came up when you were in Brussels.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2569.0,2583.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/63","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nYeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2583.0,2583.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/64","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nIs that right?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2583.0,2584.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/65","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nYeah, that's true. I think I moved to Brussels around 2000; year 2000. Yeah. So that was, again, kind of next phase of EWI in enlargement and benefiting from our experience in inside Central Europe, then a little further East or South. And there was a clear understanding and agreement that any change or transformation has to happen with the help of creating a strong group of leaders who would be the pioneers of the change. And especially when it comes to complex areas with cross border tensions that such leadership building, local leadership building, but connected to international cross border environment is very important. In the Caucasian region is where you have traditional fights, conflicts between Azerbaijan and Romania in the Central Asia. These tensions between the countries in Central Asia. Also at that time, the new tensions, conflicts around Afghanistan were starting as well.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2584.0,2662.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/66","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"So as a result of all this, we decided to develop a leadership program, leadership development program which we called Central Eurasia Leadership Academy, CELA. And this was done in cooperation with the Society of International Business Fellows in southeast of the United States, which was again one of the partner institutions whom I engaged when I was in Atlanta into the Carpathian efforts, Carpathian Euroregion. They were active already there. And then they got very excited about this idea of having to build new generation of young leaders in the Eurasian space.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2662.0,2711.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/67","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"So we also engaged a Koç University in Turkey, in Istanbul. At that time, a representative of the Koç family was on the Board of the EastWest Institute. And Mark Maletz, who was also member of the Board and he was one of the professors at Harvard Business School, he helped to develop the curriculum for this leadership course. Which was a curriculum and kind of mixture of leadership development and some basic economic aspects, business management. And then we basically started recruiting first people. The key person in this exercise was Adam Albion.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2711.0,2765.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/68","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Actually I knew him when he worked with EastWest Institute in Prague as a very young guy. I think he was assistant to Steven Heintz at that time. And we then kind of got him back to EastWest Institute and he started recruiting the new young leaders. Now I really don't know when was the first academy, Central Eurasian Leadership Academy, but I believe it was sometime in 2002 or something like that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2765.0,2804.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/69","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nOkay. Yeah, I think 2003 is what I have.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2804.0,2807.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/70","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nSorry? Uh-huh. 2003. It was in Istanbul in the Koç University. We got, I think, four or five representatives from each of the eight countries where we were working. It was usually a nice mix of people from private sector, from public, from academia, Jewish society. And became very successful program. So afterwards when I traveled to the region, whether it was Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan or Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, et cetera, from all the \"stans.\" Either in the position of somebody working for a commercial bank or for the solar government as minister or then when I was at the European Western Bank as Vice President, I was actually in charge of this area.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2807.0,2860.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/71","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"So I always tried to meet with those people who were alumni of the CELA and it really became a very strong team of people who continued to work together, to meet. There are also gradual events through a similar process like Carpathian Foundation, meaning they became an independent institution with the local management, local governance, local fundraising. Each year, they have reunions where all the alumni come together. And since then, the Central Eurasia experience expanded into Middle East, into what is called \"MELA,\" Middle East Leadership Academy. And most recently to EALA, which is East Asia Leadership Academy.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2860.0,2915.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/72","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"So it only became kind of signature project, which started with the EastWest Institute, but then became more and more kind of institution or process on its own. And there are hundreds and thousands of alumni now in those region who are somehow... The rules are somehow connected to the EastWest Institute.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2915.0,2941.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/73","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nThat's wonderful. That's great. And you mentioned so the first academy... So how long were each of these academies? Did sort of the participants come for a matter of months, days, weeks?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2941.0,2955.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/74","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nI think it was usually two weeks.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2955.0,2956.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/75","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nTwo weeks? Okay.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2956.0,2958.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/76","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nTwo week course. Yeah. It started in Istanbul. Then after, I think, 10 courses, it was switched to Bulgaria. And most recently, I saw that the academy took place in Georgia at some university. So it kind of started migrating in different countries, places. But the curriculum and structure is more or less the same. It's around two weeks and intense course of leadership development, business management. But most of all, allowing for the young people from these different countries, many of them having kind of tensions between themselves. For me, always fascinating when, for example, young leaders from Azerbaijan and Armenia, who otherwise are not allowed to travel to each other's country and cannot meet officially et cetera, when they came to Istanbul or to these CELA courses, they were eating together, making jokes, singing, dancing, et cetera.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=2958.0,3035.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/77","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nWow. Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=3035.0,3037.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/78","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nSo this just shows that there is this informal aspect of relations which is so important to develop because at the end of the day, I believe that people want to live in peace and not to fight each other. But we need to give them opportunity to do it.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=3037.0,3056.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/79","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nAbsolutely. Well, that is as good a place to end as any. So we will wrap up there for today. Thank you so much, Vazil.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=3056.0,3063.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/80","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nMy pleasure. Maybe just one thing. I don't want to forget some important aspects. I forgot one center or actually two. I mean, one EastWest center in Moscow of these business. But I believe that Vladimir will talk about that, Vladimir Ivanov, who was and still is the director. But one center which was also important and it was linked to this Serbia developments and exercises was EWI Center in Belgrade, which was also very successful run by Aaron Presnell and his wife Galiana. And they developed, again, wonderful set of activities for Serbia and neighboring regions. And then very successfully moved to the United States. And now they're working at Jefferson Institute doing excellent work, especially in distance learning and different educational efforts. I'm proud to be member of the Board. So EWI continues in different ways, different forms. And I'm really happy that I was part of it.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=3063.0,3138.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/81","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nYeah. It's so wonderful. If you're open to it, I would love to have another session. Just one last little short session with you kind of wrapping up, talking about your post EWI career. But I want to give us a little bit more space to talk about that if that's okay with you.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=3138.0,3151.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/82","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nOf course, yes. Just send me some email with possible suggested time slots and we'll find time for sure.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=3151.0,3160.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/83","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nWonderful. Well, thank you so much, Vazil. Enjoy Spain.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=3160.0,3164.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/84","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nYeah, thank you. It's very nice. Sunny, warm.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=3164.0,3167.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/85","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nThat sounds great.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=3167.0,3170.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/86","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nNice time for Easter.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=3170.0,3171.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/87","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nYes, absolutely. Well, I hope you have a nice holiday and I will send you a note and we'll find time for our last session. And, yeah, thanks again for your time.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=3171.0,3181.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/88","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nOkay, Emily. Have a good day.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=3181.0,3183.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/89","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nYou too.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=3183.0,3183.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/90","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nI will stay in touch. Bye-bye.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=3183.0,3184.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/91","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"EMILY WHALEN\n\nYep, absolutely. Take care. Bye.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=3184.0,3186.0"},{"id":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982/transcript/41355/annotation/92","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"VAZIL HUDAK\n\nBye.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lcdl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1894/collection_resources/82655/file/170982#t=3186.0,3186.974"}]}]}]}